The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will hold a wild horse and burro adoption in Beeville April 12-14. The three-day event at the Bee County Expo Center will feature more than 50 spectacular animals.

These are adult and yearling horses and burros that once roamed free on public lands in the West. The BLM periodically removes excess animals from the range in order to maintain healthy herds and to protect other rangeland resources. The adoption program is essential for achieving these important management goals.

Adoption begins with a competitive bid Thursday April 12, at 2 p.m. First-come-first-served adoptions follow until 6 p.m., then again Friday, April 13, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday, April 14, from 8 a.m. to noon.

Application approval is required and can be done on site. To qualify to adopt, one must be at least 18 years old with no record of animal abuse. Adopters must have a minimum of 400 square feet of corral space per animal, with free access to food, water and shelter.

A six-foot corral fence is required for adult horses and five feet for yearlings. All animals must be loaded in covered stock-type trailers with swing gates and sturdy walls and floors. BLM staff will be on hand to assist with the short application process, answer any questions and load horses.

The standard adoption fee is $125, as set by law. Bidding will start at that amount.

BLM pays a one-time $500 care-and-feeding allowance to adopters of horses at least four years old. The allowance is paid in full after one year when adopters receive official ownership title for their horse(s). All standard adoption conditions and fees apply. A limited number of eligible horses will be available. Younger horses, burros and trained animals are not eligible for this incentive.

Wild horses and burros – iconic symbols of America’s western heritage – are renowned for their strength, endurance, agility and intelligence, characteristics bred into them in the wild that make them ideal for work or recreation. Since 1973, the BLM has placed more than 225,000 of these “living legends” in approved homes across the country.

For more information, call 866-4-MUSTANGS (866.468.7826) or visit www.blm.gov/nm/oklahoma.